Montrose man arrested, 4 troopers injured in drug bust

BY KATIE SULLIVAN

Times-Shamrock Writer

Two men were arrested and four state troopers were injured after one of the men hit the troopers with his car when they caught him selling heroin Thursday night, state police atDunmoresaid.

Trooper Jennifer Kosakevitch met with Joseph Klecha, 26, of Montrose, at Applebee’s, 74 Viewmont Mall, at about6:10 p.m.and purchased two bundles of heroin from him for $370, police said.

She then signaled other undercover officers, who converged on Klecha, opening his doors and reaching in the vehicle to grab him, when he accelerated his Jeep Liberty forward and backward, striking Trooper Kosakevitch and three others, a police cruiser and another car when authorities tried to remove him from his vehicle, according to a police report.

After Klecha was removed from the vehicle, a physical altercation ensued, leading police to shoot him with a stun gun, police said.

Troopers Kosakevitch, Mark Murray, James McEvoy and James Ford were all treated and released from local hospitals for various injuries, according to the report.

Police said Klecha was sent toGeisingerCommunityMedicalCenterfor treatment of multiple facial injuries and was undergoing surgery for those injuries Friday.

Klecha told state police, the Lacakwanna County District Attorney’s Office andDicksonCitypolice he was staying at the Microtel Inn,232 Main St., where a man he knew as “Loyal” was staying in room 225 with more than 200 bags of heroin.

Police found “Loyal,” whose real name is Keiyamo Nelson, at the hotel, and detained him as they continued their investigation, according to the report.

Police also found Klecha’s girlfriend, Kaitlyn Shinn, who signed a consent form to let police search the hotel room, where they seized 250 bags of heroin and $900 cash, according to the report.

Nelson, 31, was charged with possession with intent to deliver and other drug-related charges, police said.

He was arraigned Friday, was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday and is being held in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Klecha was charged with aggravated assault, delivery of heroin, reckless endangerment and related offenses, police said.

He was arraigned Friday, is slated for preliminary hearings Aug. 29 and is being held in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $250,000 bail, according to court documents.